Gogo Brings In-Flight Entertainment to your iPad

Juliet Van Wagenen and Woodrow Bellamy III

Gogo In-Flight Entertainment Photo: Gogo

[Avionics Today 08-08-2014] Gogo, the global aero communications provider best known for providing In-flight Connectivity (IFC), can now bring In-Flight Entertainment (IFE) right to a passenger’s own laptop or other Wi-Fi-enabled device. The company recently announced that it has received a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) from the FAA to install its Gogo Vision wireless IFE product on commercial aircraft with or without Gogo's connectivity service on the ground. This means passengers can now stream movies and television shows to their own Wi-Fi enabled laptop, smartphone or tablet from a server on one of the 1,500 aircraft enabled with Gogo Vision.

According to Ash ElDifrawi, Gogo’s chief commercial officer, using a passenger’s own device is an easy, relatively low-cost way to bolster an airline’s IFE portfolio.

“The operational benefits of a product like Gogo Vision are very apparent to airlines: relatively low cost, light weight and no need to maintain screens on a plane. They are leveraging a passenger’s own device, which we know they are carrying on a plane,” ElDifrawi said.

And there are other savings to be had, according to ElDifrawi. With an on-board server, there is no need for satellite or Air-to-Ground (ATG) antennas and there is also no bandwidth costs. Furthermore, ElDifrawi reassured customers that connecting to the IFE from their laptop or smartphone shouldn’t be any more difficult than usual.

“They will still see an SSID on their device that will give them access to connect to the Wi-Fi just like they do today, it just won’t be connected to ground. Passengers simply connect to the onboard Wi-Fi system, launch their browser and they will automatically be directed to a library full of content to choose from,” ElDifrawi said.

The movies and shows available to customers will vary from airline to airline, depending on what the brand would like to offer passengers. But regardless of what you watch, Gogo ensures you’ll be watching it from your own device.